An exceptionally well explained rant that I find myself in total agreement with.

  • underisk@lemmy.ml
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    1 year ago

    Whether or not they’re violating the letter of the GPL is entirely separate from whether they’re violating its intent. The former is debatable but the latter is absolutely happening here.

    • UrbenLegend@lemmy.ml
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      1 year ago

      What do you think the intent of the GPL is though? Genuinely curious, this isn’t meant as a retort or anything.

      • underisk@lemmy.ml
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        1 year ago

        … the freedom to study, change, and redistribute the software you use.

        They are specifically and explicitly trying to limit your freedom with regards to redistribution by making it a violation of their EULA to do so.

        • UrbenLegend@lemmy.ml
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          1 year ago

          But the code is also available in CentOS Stream, which is basically the “git master” of RHEL, and that you can freely redistribute.

          • underisk@lemmy.ml
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            1 year ago

            The people using RHEL aren’t using CentOS Stream, and they aren’t able to redistribute the actual software they are actively using. I don’t know how to state this any clearer.

            • UrbenLegend@lemmy.ml
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              1 year ago

              Your logic would apply if they were entirely separate pieces of software, but RHEL is just essentially snapshots of CentOS Stream.

              • underisk@lemmy.ml
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                1 year ago

                Those snapshots are not CentOS Stream. You are not running CentOS Stream, in the state in which it is provided, when you run a RHEL release. They arent entirely separate, but that’s exaggerating the claim and not what I’m arguing. The people who are using RHEL as provided are not able to redistribute the thing which they are using.

                • UrbenLegend@lemmy.ml
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                  1 year ago

                  Whether the GPL says the redistributed code has to be a bug-for-bug compatible copy of RHEL is up for lawyers to decide. In my mind, saying “I am not running Software Foobar, I am running Software Foobar released a few months ago” seems like a silly distinction in this case, especially when talking about the health of FOSS.

                  • underisk@lemmy.ml
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                    1 year ago

                    Once again, their adherence to the letter of the GPL is certainly up for debate, I said as much at the start.

                    Their violation of its intent, however, is not. They are putting up roadblocks, however trivial or insignificant you seem to believe they are, to limit your freedom in redistributing they code they are providing. Period. This controversy would not exist if they weren’t.